supposed to happen. >> well, as a physicist, i get hundreds of e-mails and i tell people don't quit your day job. pay your rent. and for god's sake, do your laundry. i just got back from speaking in germany and poland and it is all over the place. in fact, there are 3,000 books on the internet talking about this. it has become a cash cow for people who want to cash in on this doomsday scenario. but, hey, look, look up in the sky. the sky is not on fire. we're not falling into a black hole. we're not colliding with planet x. in fact, it is raining and snowing for god's sake. >> and the mayan calendar, even the mayans don't believe it is the end of the world today. the mayan calendar, there is a new calendar that starts. we start all over, right? after today? >> it is cyclic. many of the indigenous people live close to nature. the winter solstice is the end and they hijacked it in order to promote book sales.

>> let's all celebrate. we're all alive and the world has not come to an end. thank you very much. good to see you as always. "cnn newsroom" continues now with brooke baldwin. hey, brooke. >> suzanne, thank you so much. i'm brooke baldwin. huge news day. a lot to get to including the president's big announcement, saw it here on cnn, moments ago. senator john kerry tapped to replace hillary clinton as secretary of state. but he will have to go through congress first. we're going to talk about that here in just a moment. we have to begin with this. days of tears. days of debate, even some confrontation. the sounds of silence this morning spoke volumes as the nation and newtown remember what happened one week ago today. only rain drops heard during this moment. firefighters there in newtown, paying tribute to 20 young children, 6, 7 years of age and

seven adults gunned down for reasons we may never know. the reflections began at 9:30 a.m. eastern time, that is the precise time that first call came in. at least 29 states held a moment of silence, put flags at half-staff, even parts of the internet went silent this morning. video gamers put down their consoles in unity and bells across connecticut state sounded for each killed at sandy hook elementary. [ bells tolling ] >> at the episcopal church in newtown, 28 tolls rang for each life lost. 28. that includes the shooter. when the bells were still, the remembrances began. one was just inside the capital building there in connecticut.

♪ amaze iing grace how sweet the sound ♪ ♪ that save d a wretch like me ♪ ♪ i once was lost but now i'm found ♪ ♪ was blind

but now i see ♪ >> a time of great sorrow, great unity, saw it in newtown myself this week. i want to go to my colleague poppy harlow is there for us live amidst the memorial that i know poppy is growing and growing. we saw the bells. we saw the services this morning. but just take me to newtown. what was it like there at 9:30 this morning? >> reporter: it was silent, brooke. it was still. i'm so glad you played that whole song because as we listen to that from our location and people in this town stood here at this memorial, which has grown into blocks and blocks, they all stopped and they stopped for five to ten minutes to remember those 28 lives that

were lost as each bell chimed. it was a moment i'll never forget. it was a moment when the president took time also in the white house to commemorate the moment with a moment of silence of his own. people across this country, across the world, 28 governors asked people in their states to also commemorate that moment. so i think it was the one point when the entire country stood still behind the people of newtown. you know, people here woke up this morning, brooke, to a letter from the first lady michelle obama. she penned a letter to newtown in the local paper here. i want to read you part of it, very eloquent. the first lady saying, please know that every minute of every day we are thinking of you and praying for you and holding you and your families in our hearts as you begin the slow and wrenching work of healing and moving forward. and that's just beginning. i mean, this is so raw. five more funerals still today. there say memorial service being held across the street from where i am. we're seeing children, families

coming here to look. we're seeing signs like this one that really stands out to me. sorry, hon. little kids behind me. but we are sandy hook, we choose love. and this makeshift memorial is so telling. it has grown across the street. it has grown blocks down from here and it is just continuing to grow day by day by day. >> it is the adults leaving the flowers, but also the itty-bitty children coming by, perhaps with little ones of sandy hook, perhaps they know the story. you mentioned the letter from the first lady. it was the first thing i read this morning. we're also hearing from the president today. he also -- he has a message to newtown. >> reporter: yeah. >> here's what i think we should do. this week i called on congress to take up and pass common sense legislation that has the support of the majority of the american people, including banning the sale of military style assault weapons and high capacity ammunition clips. and making sure criminals can't take advantage of legal loopholes to get their hands on a gun. >> reporter: so, brooke that is

the debate that is going to rage, especially after that nra presser today in washington. but for this town, for this moment, for this day, it is not about that. it is very important, but it is about the people and the victims and remembering them and commemorating them in beautiful ways just like this one, brooke. >> absolutely, poppy harlow, thank you so much for us in newtown. wasn't thrill a presser the nra gave, a statement, no questions answered afterward. the nra also held a moment of silence at 9:30 this morning today for the 20 children and the 6 adults slaughtered last friday in newtown schoolhouse. but hours later, the nra spelled out its own plan to prevent similar massacres in the future. the message from wayne lapierre, put guns in every school now. >> and does anybody really believe that the next adam lanza isn't planning his attack on a school, he's already identified

at this very moment? how many more copycats are waiting in the wings for their moment of fame? the only thing that stops a bad guy with a gun is a good guy with a gun. i call on congress today to act immediately to appropriate whatever is necessary to put armed police officers in every single school in this nation. >> that statement this morning from the nra. it launched a blistering attack blaming tragedies like the newtown massacre, dark sides of american culture and government. >> our nation's refusal to create an active national database of the mentally ill, vicious, violent video games with names like bullet storm,

grand theft auto, mortal combat, and splatter house, blood-soaked films out there like "american psyc psycho," "natural born killers," politicians pass laws for gun-free school zones. they issue press releases bragging about them. they post signs advertising them. and in doing so, they tell every insane killer in america that schools are the safest place to inflict maximum mayhem with minimum risk. >> lapierre went on to blame the media for what we have been seeing in terms of mass murders. we'll talk to the media critic with "the washington post." he's standing by for that angle for me. first, tom foreman, to you in washington. we heard lapierre speaking

minutes upon minutes upon minutes how it is uniquely prepared to help, train people, arm every school in the nation. i want to know from you, how is washington reacting now to what he said today? >> well, you know, i'll tell you something, washington reacts cautiously to anything the nra says. i'll tell you why. yes, there is a national sense right now of people wanting to say we should do something about this and maybe some kind of gun laws would make a difference as the president mentioned. there has been a slight tick in the polls in favor of that. but, washington is aware for 20 years, public opinion has been running the other way. gallop tracked the fact that people want less intrusion into gun laws by the government. but more importantly there is this. the nra became the nra as we know it today by being very savvy about its politics. and the simple truth is, even if there is a national movement right now in favor of doing something, everyone in washington knows that there is a long time between now and when

such a law that actually will be considered. and during that time, a lot of the public sentiment can die down and more importantly the nra can work not just the national level, but the tremendous influence at the state and local level. all these congress members, all these senators, they do not run as national politicians. they run in a state or in a district. and what matters to them is how the people feel in their state or district. and what is driving these polls up right now, in large part, is a really tremendous outpouring of sentiment from, yes, some moderates in the middle, but also tremendously by people who already live in largely democratic areas, places that already favor more gun control. that probably makes very little difference to a lawmaker who comes from a state that does not feel that way, brooke. how does washington respond? cautiously. because they know the nra wouldn't say this if they didn't have some muscle behind it. >> speaking of caution, where was the security today? were you watching this? i counted two protesters with

huge sheets, you know, messages painted on them, you know, right in front of the cameras, here is one. this was a second one -- >> they're actually right in front of me. that person, i could have reached out with my left hand and touched her and the one before her stood up practically on my shoes. he was in a seat two seats way from me. i saw him beforehand. i thought he was a reporter i did not know. there are a lot of reporters in the room. they had a lot of security there and checked badges a lot and seemed to be trying to keep track of everyone who came into the room. a lot of us were surprised that anybody managed to slip in and secondly surprising how long they were allowed to stand up there, frankly before the security cam in and grabbed them and dragged them off. that was surprising. at one point, one journalist said he thought one of the protesters was going to say, well, i said all i have to say and i'll leave because it took them so long to get up there and deal with them. the one question people asked, frankly, in terms of security, a simple security issue, if they

stood up there that long waving signs and talking, all of us were saying what if they were trying to do something worse? it is just a tense time. and there are tense relationships in washington right now around this whole issue for everyone involved. brooke? >> tom foreman, thank you so much. back to a point we were making, the nra today, ripped on the national media there, saying it turns shooters into celebrities with overblown coverage. the nra also says the media is biased against gun owners. >> rather than face their own moral failings, the media demonized lawful gun owners. amplify their cries for more laws, and fill the national media with misinformation and dishonest thinking. how many more copycats are waiting in the wings for their moment of fame? from a national media machine that rewards them with wall to wall attention, and a sense of identity that they crave.

>> we are the media. we cover newtown. we're still in newtown. i went there personally over the weekend. i want to talk about this. i want to bring in washington post media critic eric wimple. do you think the media contributes to these kinds of mass murders? >> i don't. i don't think the media contributes to these kinds of mass murders. i think the research on this alleged nexus between media saturation and mass shootings is murky and sort of indirect at best. and i think that the media does its job when it covers the mass murders. it is unfortunate that in a town like newtown, you have hoards and hoards of international and national local press climbing over everybody, interviewing everybody and even now a another situation where you have people asking whether the people of newtown, whether the media saturation is too much. that can get a little absurd.

but i do think that the media has a responsibility to cover these things and absent and absolutely proven link between media coverage and mass murders, the media should go on doing what it's doing. >> let me ask you about something else wayne lapierre brought up, violent video games and movies. i'm sure you saw that the mpaa, the motion picture association of america chief made this rare statement saying we're ready to have a conversation. we're ready to talk about violence in the movies. what is your reaction to that? >> well, i think, yeah, i don't think there is any question there should be a discussion and debate about all of this stuff. and to a certain extent mr. lapierre was right in bringing some attention to violent videos. whether or not they result in mass killings, you know, i think just sort of looking at it from a common sense perspective, violent video games are not something that most parents in america are happy about. so i think that the discussion

should be joined just on that basis alone. now, there has been some discussion on twit and the media about mr. lapierre's mentioning of this game kindergarten killer, which he seemed to connect to a media problem in terms of how it doesn't cover video games. and this was one game that has not actually been very popular and has barely even sold at the time. so, you know, there is a lot of distortion on both ends of these things and mr. lapierre was obviously very passionate about what he was saying, but i would be careful about taking it all at face value. >> just try to cover the facts and do capital j journalism. we'll talk to two youngsters out of newtown next hour who are saying to fellow kids, let's stop playing these. we'll talk to them actually. looking forward to that interview, erik wemple of washington post. thank you very much. now this. >> pleasure.

today, many video gamers calling a cease-fire to honor newtown's victims. but i'll speak live with two kids who are quitting the games for good. plus, since john kerry's on tap to be the next secretary of state, could this hollywood power player take his place in congress? we'll tell you about ben affleck's chances. and russian lawmakers vote to ban american parents from adopting their own. but the final decision is up to this man. the news is now. yeah. one phillips' colon health probiotic cap each day helps defend against these digestive issues with three strains of good bacteria. approved! [ female announcer ] live the regular life. phillips'.

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you stood here yesterday and expressed confidence that you were going to pass -- >> this is the cliffs note version for you today on the fiscal cliff story, your taxes, my taxes, warren buffett's taxes all set to rise the first of the year. house speaker john boehner, saw him right there, he has suffered a huge political blow here.

and as washington empties out for christmas, the president needs someone to cut a deal with and very, very quickly, but the question is who? speaker boehner seen last night to take himself out of the game when he couldn't persuade his own republican party to compromise with him, to vote to raise taxes on the richest of the rich. the republican right wouldn't do it, wouldn't do that for boehner, and keep in mind here, president obama is demanding even more than boehner is on taxes. so we ask again, what now? steven moore, steven moore writes for "the wall journal," also on the editorial board. welcome to you. >> hi, brooke. >> the way speaker boehner seemed to put it, if we heard it correctly, it is up to the democrats. the president, the senate democrats, to craft this tax and spending plan, i should say, that can please the house republicans or we're off the cliff. >> well, you know, the amazing thing about this whole debate going on now five or six weeks

since the election was held in early november, the most amazing thing, here we are on what, december 21st and no close torrer to resolution. you raised an important point, brooke, that the house and senate are basically adjourned. they're gone until after christmas. and that leaves us, what, four or five days to settle this. >> ticking, right? right? >> so -- pardon me? >> time is ticking away. >> right, the clock is ticking and they don't get back until december 26th, december 27th. here is my prediction to you, brooke. i think they'll come to resolution on december 31. maybe a few hours before the stroke of midnight. but this is no way to deal with the budget crisis, you know. it is amazing to think we're eight, nine, ten days away from the beginning of the year and no investor, no business, no worker knows what the tax system is going to look like. this had a lot of uncertainty. the market is down today. everybody is very disgusted.

>> that's what i want to -- people are disgusted. i want to ask you, the business community is disgusted. what is their feeling now. you're saying they're going to come together the 31st of the year -- the end of the year, i mean, what good is that going to do anyone? >> brooke, that's the optimistic scenario. the pessimistic scenario, do we go over the cliff even by the end of december we don't have a solution here. i would say a lot of people are gambling right now that we are going to go over the cliff. look, here's my feeling about it. i think both sides deserve some blame here, but i think that the big problem has been the president hasn't really put -- i talked to -- some of my conservative republican friends, what they're saying is the president just hasn't been serious in any of these negotiations about cutting and spending and before we raise taxes, we want spending cuts on the table and, of course, the president says unless i get my way on taxes, so -- >> we understand the back and forth. we understand the back and forth, but what about the business community? let's look at the dow, pull up

the numbers on wall street. down 145 points. is this foreshadowing to what could become -- >> this is bad news for investors. now i think a lot of investors think the tax increase may be worse because, remember, brooke, this is an important point to remember, if they don't get a resolution by december 31, everybody's tax goes up. not just warren buffett's taxes, not just bill gate's taxes, your taxes, my taxes, anybody who fills out a tax form will pay for a tax increase. we're talking about $2500 or more a year. that's a big increase that the government will be taking out of people's wallets. >> okay. steven moore, thanks. >> i wish i had better news. merry christmas. >> merry cliffmas. thank you, i guess. want to let you know minutes ago, president obama made his first move to put together his second term national security team. we saw a moment ago here on cnn he nominated senator john kerry

for a role kerry spent his entire career planning and preparing for as secretary of state. we will take a closer look at the massachusetts senator's career next. [ female announcer ] what if the next big thing, isn't a thing at all? it's lots of things. all waking up. ♪ becoming part of the global phenomenon we call the internet of everything. ♪ trees will talk to networks

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president obama nominates senator john kerry to replace hillary clinton as secretary of state. you know the deal. the rumors have been circulating for quite a while after a political firestorm engulfed u.n. ambassador to the u.s. susan rice, who had been tipped as early favorite, really, for that job. but today senator john kerry's endorsement was made official. president obama nominating kerry for one of the highest posts really in the world. >> i'm very proud to announce my choice for america's next secretary of state, john kerry. in a sense, john's entire life has prepared him for this role as the son of a foreign service officer. he has a deep respect for the men and women of the state department. the role they play in advancing our interests and values, the risks that they undertake and the sacrifices that they make along with their families. having served with valor in

vietnam, he understands that we have a responsibility to use american power wisely, especially our military power. john, i'm very grateful that you've agreed to take on this new assignment. i'm confident the senate will confirm you quickly. >> we know john kerry is a veteran senator. we know he ran for president in 2004. cnn's kate bolduan looks at the man in the moment. >> thank you very much, mr. secretary. >> his senate colleagues have joked about his ambition, what many regarded as worst kept secret in washington. even in recent senate hearings, john their soundkerry sounded l looking ahead to his future job. >> that must change. and in the next session of the congress i hope it will. >> reporter: he wasn't the president's first choice. u.n. ambassador susan rice took herself out of the running after republican backlash. >> it was unjustified to give

the scenario as presented by ambassador rice. >> reporter: senator kerry knows himself about being torpedoed by attacks. accused in his 2004 run about lying about hisary cord in vietnam. >> john kerry has not been honest about what happened in vietnam. >> reporter: and criticized for his 1971 testimony opposing the vietnam war. >> how do you ask a man to be the last man to die in vietnam? >> reporter: kerry was painted a flip-flopper and out of touch, unable to grasp the struggles of regular americans. but candidate kerry did put president obama, then an unknown politician, on the national stage at the democratic convention. >> john kerry believes that in a dangerous world, war must be an option sometimes, but it should never be the first option. >> reporter: following the loss, kerry immersed himself in foreign policy. >> we stand adjourned. >> reporter: now the chairman of

the senate foreign relations committee, he's been an unofficial envoy for president obama, helping ease tension with president karzai in afghanistan, and helping mend strained relations with pakistan after the killing of osama bin laden. >> we are strategic partners with a common enemy in terrorism and extremism. >> reporter: but kerry's not totally in sync with obama. he has supported limited military intervention in syria, something the president has resisted. over his 30-year career, kerry has built deep relationships with many foreign leaders. >> there are very few people in our country with greater experience over a longer period of time in foreign policy than senator kerry. >> reporter: perhaps kerry's biggest challenge to date is not his confirmation hearings on capitol hill, but rather following in hillary clinton's footsteps who has become one of the most popular officials in the obama cabinet, both here and abroad. katebolduan, cnn, washington.

up next hour, we'll talk to wolf blitzer about the multiple names being floated as kerry's replacement in the u.s. senate, including actor and humanitarian ben affleck. calls and e-mails to the hot line of autism speaks have gone up 130% since last week's shooting in newtown. coming up next, we'll talk to dr. sanjay gupta who will join me in studio to explain asperger's and address, apparently, all the questions that are out there now. oh, let me guess --ou see this? more washington gridlock. no, it's worse -- look, our taxes are about to go up.

not the taxes on our dividends though, right? that's a big part of our retirement. oh, no, it's dividends, too. the rate on our dividends would more than double. but we depend on our dividends to help pay our bills. we worked hard to save. well, the president and congress have got to work together to stop this dividend tax hike. before it's too late. and this is the nokia lumia 920 from at&t. it's got live tiles so all my stuff's always right there in real-time. it's like the ultimate personal assistant. but i'm me, and me needs handlers. so i hired todd to handle it for me. todd, gimme that hollywood news! what's happening on twitter? you're trending! yes! you can't have a todd, but you can have your own personal assistant. i guess you could call it todd. [ male announcer ] the new nokia lumia 920 with live tiles that deliver what you want in real time. only from at&t. rethink possible.

bottom of the hour, i'm brooke baldwin. central question in the newtown investigation now is what was going through the mind of adam lanza. the family and friends, they say he had been diagnosed with asperger's syndrome. and cnn's chief medical correspondent dr. sanjay gupta explains to us what it is. >> asperger's is a type of

autism. doctors call autism a neurodevelopmental disorder, not a mental illness. that's important. it is something you're born with, and it does tend to run in families. a little history, the condition was first described by dr. hans asperger. he made this key observation. cl listen closely. people with asperger's are socially isolated. they have problems with communication. there is something off in their interactions with other people. they can miss social cues. take this example. if someone walks over and says hello, most of us naturally say hello right back. a child with asperger's, that doesn't come as instinctively, they lack what you might call social intuition. another symptom, people with asperger's tend to become extremely focused. they're obsessed with details. one example, temple grandin, she has asperger's and she's written six books. a top expert in designing facilities for livestock. there are some crucial distinctions. one, children with asperger's do

not have language problems. their speech often develops normally. by definition, people with asperger's have average to high intelligence. and it seems to be common in the tech world, more common. not to mention actress daryl hannah, author tim page, he won a pulitzer prize. there is a common misconception that people with asperger's lack empathy. you'll see this isn't necessarily true. people with asperger's tend to be bad at recognizing emotions in other people. but research and experience show this, they do relate to those emotions. in fact, it can be extremely intense, almost like they feel too much for other people. even animals. temple grandin became famous for developing humane livestock pens. she could put herself in the animal's place. she says she could feel their pain. >> and dr. sanjay gupta joins me now. so i read something interesting this past week that apparently the calls or questions into this autism speaks, this hot line, is

up like 130%. so obviously people are talking about that, people have questions. is the fact that this shooter reportedly had asperger's, is that relevant? >> i think it is not relevant. >> you don't? >> i think probably just need to come out and say it the way you asked it and i answered it, it is not relevant to the discussion. >> why? >> it is not associated with any of these types of behaviors. when i think -- to the extent it is raised in the context of this, people are saying could autism somehow have caused this sort of behavior and it just doesn't. this has been studied. there is a study that is one of the most quoted studies with regard to some of the behaviors of people with autism. asperger's is on the autism spectrum. out of 132 people in that study, 3 people had episodes of some sort of violence, but they were always reactive violence or outbursts. what was seen here was a very premeditated, planned sort of violence. and it is just not something that is associated with asperger's. i think that's just a myth. >> help us understand, because

this word asperger's is on everyone's tongue, it seems this past week. how does someone with asperger's function? >> well, you know, they're socially awkward i think would be the best way to say. they miss social cues. somebody may -- as i was saying in the piece, say hello, brooke, and you have the natural sort of social instinct to say hello back. and some people just miss those things. they have a hard time making eye contact. but they often don't have difficulty with language. they don't have difficulty with intelligence. many of them are average to high intelligence. and they -- some of them are people in this country who run large companies, you know. so it just -- it is a -- it is variable like most things are, but not a mental illness. it is a neurodevelopmental disorder, something you're born with, something that can be inherited. there is not an anti-autism medication like antidepressants. it is just -- it was unfortunate, i think, that it came up in the context of all of this that more as an adjective

than an explanation. >> it has come up. easy to slap a label on someone. thank you for the context. >> glad we did it. >> sanjay gupta, thank you very much. watch this guy on the weekends, 4:30 p.m. -- >> seven days a week. >> he never stops working. 4:30 p.m. saturday. 7:30 a.m. sunday, right? eastern time. sanjay gupta, don't miss him. russia's government trying to put the brakes on american parents adopting russian children. coming up next, the impact families here in the u.s. and really what is being done to stop this proposed ban. [ female announcer ] what if the next big thing, isn't a thing at all?

it's lots of things. all waking up. connecting to the global phenomenon we call the internet of everything. ♪ it's going to be amazing. and exciting. and maybe, most remarkably, not that far away. we're going to wake the world up. and watch, with eyes wide, as it gets to work. cisco. tomorrow starts here.

helping newtown heal. one week after the tragic school shooting at that elementary school, some people coping with unimaginable sorrow are turning to dogs. take a look. >> he's a comfort dog.

you can pet him. it says right here, please pet me. a comfort dog is whatever brings comfort to other people, when they're suffering or hurting or brings happiness to people, helps people process their grief. >> it's okay, abbie. it's good girl. yeah. >> dogs a month ago when sandy hit. children will walk up sad and walk away happy. petting a dog helps them to process whatever it is they're going through. >> it does help. it does help. i love dogs. there is nothing like that connection. >> dogs are big lovers. and they show unconditional love. and they're counselors because they're confidential and don't keep notes. 315 horsepower. what's that in reindeer-power? [ laughs ] [ pencil scratches ]

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now, this isn't law yet. but president vladimir putin would have to sign it and it is not quite clear if he will or not. here 's what is clear to many people, russian protesters, a sign here says it all, are orphans guilty of -- death. this ban, the president made it official a week ago. what is it? it puts u.s. travel and financial restrictions on human rights aabusers in russia. and this law is named for sergi magnitzke, a whistle-blower who exposed corporate corruption. he was put in prison, denying him basic nutrition and medical care. >> he was placed in worst conditions until on november 16th, 2009, having

days in prison, sergi died. >> want to bring in adam pertman. welcome to you, adam. just let me begin with, how does this impact so many families here wanting these children, wanting these russian children in the u.s.? >> well, of course, the ones who are already sort of in line, who have either gone through the process or about to, i mean, they're feeling crushed. and wondering whether they're going to become families at all. the kids -- the people who really are suffering, of course, are the kids who are staying institutionalized while all the adults argue. >> it is no secret, though, that there have been problems, russian adoptive children have had in the u.s., a highly publicized case not too along go in 2010, that tennessee woman put the 7-year-old boy she adopted on a flight, back to russia, alone. has there been an improvement

since then? >> well, that case was an aberration. and, by the way, there have been other kids hurt and even some who died in their adoptive homes. and russia was justifiably upset about all that. but, you know, you salve tolve problem you have, divorce dads snatch their kids and we can't say we can't have divorce because look what happens. you fix the problem you have, you don't throw away the baby with the bath water. that's what is happening with this legislation. whatever problems there might have been and they're minimal, we need to fix them, but to make all the kids suffer simply isn't right. >> if this sounds like it is about politics here, in terms of a fix, 30 seconds here, mr. pertman, what is the adoption community in the u.s. doing to fix this? >> well, the adoption community really can't do anything right now. this is a problem in the hands of the duma and in the hands of president putin and we can only hope that he does the right things for these -- the right thing for these kids and doesn't hold them hostage. >> adam pertman, thank you for

joining me. we appreciate it. want you to look at this image. this is a pretty fascinating image here. you have the president, along with the former president there, right in between the two of them, the vice president,ing all there to remember senator who served half a century, daniel inouye. you'll hear president obama's words, and memories next.

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and use one of our certified repair shops, your repairs are guaranteed for life. call... to switch, and you could save hundreds. liberty mutual insurance -- responsibility. what's your policy? the most powerful figures in washington filled the cavernous national cathedral today in washington to bid farewell to the late united states senator daniel inouye who served hawaii since statehood, 50 years in the u.s. senate. inouye died on monday.

he was eulogized today by a fellow hawaiian himself once a senator, who spoke of first beginning to understand politics while watching senator inouye serve on a watergate committee. >> to see this man, this senator, this powerful, accomplished person who was not a central cast when it came to what you would think a senator might look like at the time, and the way he commanded the respect of an entire nation, i think it hinted to me what might be possible in my own life. this was a man who as a teenager stepped up to serve his country, even after his fellow japanese americans were declared enemy aliens. a man who believed in america, even when its government didn't necessarily believe in him.

that meant something to me. it gave me a powerful sense, one that i couldn't put into words, a powerful sense of hope. >> president barack obama earlier today eulogizing daniel inouye, the long-serving u.s. senator died monday. he was 88 years old. coming up next, i will speak with a woman who saw her parents killed by a gunman inside a restaurant. she says we need more guns. don't miss the interview.

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hey there, everyone. today on the help desk, we're talking about filing taxes as an independent contractor. how do you do that? with me, lynette calfawny cox and david novik. take a listen. >> as an independent contractor and sole proprietor of my own business in the wellness field, how should i file my taxes at the end of the year? >> so i think it depends, right if she's paid the estimated quarterly taxes or not. and -- >> she's still going to have to file regardless whether she paid her estimated taxes or not. that will help in what she owes. it is similar to working people where they would have taxes withheld out of their paycheck. most likely as an independent contractor she'll file a schedule c, it is a supplement to the 1040, that's basically going to list her business income and her business expenses. that would then flow through to her 1040 return and file it as a normal personal tax return. >> any way to maximize her

benefit, her deductions as an independent contractor? >> certainly take advantage of all of the exemptions, deductions and credits to when she's entitled. make sure you amass the 1099s you're likely to have gotten from clients and vendors and whoever paid you during the year. and then see whether or not, you know, whether it is business expenses, your health insurance you might be paying for yourself, travel, any kind of supplies, materials you bought for your business, et cetera, write those off. keep records of it, of course, so that if the irs ever audits you, you have the proof you did incur those expenses. >> thank you, guys, very much. if you have a question you want our experts to tackle, upload a 30-second video to ireport.com. top of the hour, i'm brooke baldwin. huge news day. a lot to get to including the president's big announcement just a short time ago. there they were, senator john kerry tapped to replace hillary clinton as the next secretary of state. but, you will have to go through

congress first. we'll talk about that momentarily. but before we do, days and days now of tears, debate, confrontation. the sounds of silence spoke volumes this morning as the nation and the city of newtown remembered what happened one week ago today. rain drops, only rain drops were heard during this moment of silence. firefighters there in newtown, paying tribute to the 20 children, the 6, the 7-year-olds and the seven adults gunned down, for reasons we may never know. the reflections began at 9:30 this morning eastern time. the time that first call came in to 911. at least 29 states held a moment of silence, put their flags at half-staff. parts of the internet went silent. video gamers put down their consoles in unity and bells

across connecticut sounded for each killed at sandy hook elementary school. [ bells tolling ] at the episcopal church in newtown, 28 tolls rang for each life lost, including the shooter's. 28 there. when the bells were still, the remembrances began. one inside the capital building in hartford. ♪ amazing grace how sweet the sound ♪ ♪ that saved

a wretch like me ♪ ♪ i once was lost but now i'm found ♪ ♪ was blind but now i see ♪ >> the first lady also marked this day in a letter to newtown. here's what she wrote in the hartford courant. i want you to know this is just the beginning. as my husband has said, in the

coming weeks he will use all the powers of his office to engage citizens from across the country to find ways to prevent tragedies like this one. and please know that every minute of every day we are thinking of you, and praying for you and holding you and your families in our hearts as you begin the slow and wrenching work of healing and moving forward. from the first lady to those in newtown. we should add the nra also held a moment of silence this morning at 9:30 a.m., for the 20 children and the 6 adults slaughtered inside newtown schoolhouse. hours later, the nra spelled out its plan to prevent similar massacres in the future. one of the solutions from wayne lapierre, put guns in every school now. >> and does anybody really believe that the next adam lanza isn't planning his attack on a school he's already identified

at this very moment? how many more copycats are waiting in the wings for their moment of fame? the only thing that stops a bad guy with a gun is a good guy with a gun. i call on congress today to act immediately to appropriate whatever is necessary to put armed police officers in every single school in this nation. >> so that is some of what wayne lapierre said. it is also making news what he didn't say, didn't touch gun control, didn't talk about the gun show loopholes, didn't talk about those huge ammunition clips. instead, the nra deflected the attention to other debates, other issues. but my next guest here is a long time gun supporter from texas. she is suzanna greshahop. she thinks she could have saved her parent's lives.

she took her parents to ruby's cafeteria in texas. a man ran into this cafeteria, opened fire, killing almost two dozen people including suzanna's parents. she's joining me now from austin, texas, wrote a book called -- >> thank you. >> thank you. from "from ruby's to the legislature: one woman's fight against gun control." i want to hear about what happened in 1991. take me inside this cafeteria. this gunman starts shooting. your mother and father were killed. you feel hopeless. >> it was extremely frustrating. i used to carry a gun. at that time it was illegal in the state of texas. i was convinced to carry one by an assistant d.a. in the houston area who told me, he said, you don't see this stuff every day, but i do. so i carried one illegally for a number of years. my parents and i were at this local cafeteria in the middle of a beautiful day.

this man drove his truck through a window and very methodically began executing people. a few months earlier, i had been leaving my gun in my car because i was worried about losing my license to practice chiropractic. a number of people, a number of victims had left their guns in their car that day. but, of course, now we have changed that law in texas and we can protect ourselves. >> we brought you on, of course, because of what happened in kileen and also newtown. wayne lapierre says let's put guns in every school. i read you have two small children you say, yes, let's arm the teachers, or perhaps have an armed guard in each of these schools. my question to you would be are you not afraid that would lead to more violence? >> oh, heavens. first of all, let me correct you, i don't have two small children. i have two big boys in high school, but i just picked them up and they would be just as vulnerable as the kindergartners. i have firmly held that our teachers should be allowed to carry and quite frankly it

frustrates the heck out of me that everyone here in texas and in many states can protect themselves if they jump through the hoops and get a concealed carry permit. why is it that my teachers are being treated like second class citizens? >> but what if the teacher's job is to teach. what if the teacher zpdoesn't wt to be armed? what if you have an armed guard, like in columbine, what if that guard isn't at the right place at the right time and isn't there and can't prevent the shooting? >> you're making my argument for me. >> how is that? >> that's why people -- that's exactly why people who want to be able to carry should be able to carry. i didn't say arm every teacher. i said anyone who wants to jump through the hoops and get a concealed carry permit should be able to and use it or carry it on campus. let me make something or point something out that is just so painfully obvious to me. what are all these mass shootings occur? they go to places where they

know they can shoot people like fish in a barrel. the mass shootings don't occur at gun shows, the dreaded gun show i hear so much about, they go to places where they can shoot people like fish in a barrel until the cops, bless their hearts, finally arrive. >> let's talk about some of the weapons that this is happening, when we look at the theaters as you point out, the softer targets, look at schools and we talk about these specific weapons that perhaps may be banned. we know the president assigned his vice president to come up with proposals in a month, possibly in terms of gun control and i know there are people, there are people, there are so very much so two sides of the story, but people saying ban the assault weapons, some going so far as to say ban the automatic weapons. why do you think this society needs to have weapons that should be just used on the battlefield? >> well, let's clarify, because i think -- i think people out there that are listening to this should understand something. assault weapons is a made up

term. in fact, i think what it does is it leads people to think of a rapid fire machine gun type of weapon, and, in fact, i know a number of reporters spoken with me believe that very thing. >> don't they fire multiple bullets rapid fire? >> no, no. that's -- see, even you don't know. >> dozens of bullets per minute? these are the numbers i've seen. >> the rapid fire weapons have been banned in this country. they are illegal and have been banned since the 1930s. so this assault weapons, look it up, the assault weapon -- >> i have, with all due respect and you look at ar-15s and christiane amanpour says these are military style weapons, she's seen them in wars and conflicts like sarajevo. >> oh, yeah. we have seen them in conflict, but it is not a rapid-fire weapon. it is not a -- you are misinformed if you believe this is a rapid fire -- >> i'm not opining. it is other people's perspective and we want to bring you on to

explain why these teepz of weap -- types of weapons, whatever you want to call them, why we need to have them in our society. >> why we need to have a semi-automatic or revolver, because that's put in place so that people can defend themselves from bad guys. and what you are trying to do or let me rephrase this, what the general media is trying to do is lead people to believe that this made up term assault weapons refers to things that are on the street or used in these mass shootings and they're not. >> with all due respect, i am part of the media and i'm not trying to lead anyone to believe anything. i'm trying to get the facts and we wanted to bring you on. let me ask you about this. part of what -- part of what wayne lapierre didn't mention, he didn't mention the gun show loopholes, didn't mention the massive ammo clips. you look at the polls, if you do the math, basically more than 70% of americans favor some sort of restrictions. you have major, minor. my question to you would be, do you -- do you support any kind of -- any kind of restriction?

>> any kind of restriction? well. >> ammo, background checks, any of it? >> i restrict -- i support the restrictions that are currently in place with the exception of restricting the areas that you can carry a weapon. and i will say again that the restrictions that are currently in place include rapid fire weapons. those have been ill parallel eg country since the 1930s. that's why i don't like that term, assault weapon, it is a madeup term that misleads people. >> we just wanted you on to have your perspective and i'm glad you shared it. thanks so much. >> thank you. >> now this. today, many video gamers calling a cease-fire to honor newtown's victims. but i'll speak live with two kids who are quitting the games for good. plus, since john kerry's on tap to be the next secretary of state, could this hollywood power player take his place in congress? we'll tell you about ben

affleck's chances. and in this last hour of trading, wall street is on edge. congress plays with fire over the fiscal cliff. the news is now. uh-oh.

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with kaopectate. house speaker john boehner suffered a big political blow and the effort to avert the fiscal cliff. boehner couldn't get his own house republicans to back the so-called plan b, would have canceled most of the tax increases set for the first of the year. here he is this morning, john boehner questioned by our own dana bash. take a look. >> you said here yesterday and expressed confidence that you were going to pass -- >> sure did. >> what went wrong? >> we have -- >> i hear the laughter there in that room. what did go wrong for speaker boehner last night, and how does it complicate the effort to avoid this fiscal cliff 11 days away now? >> reporter: well, his answer

was that too many of his rank and file republicans believed that the vote they were going to take was to increase taxes and that was not something they were willing to do. we also know that there was a very, very intense push by a lot of the conservative anti-tax outside groups, not grover norquist whose name comes up a lot, other groups to stop republicans from voting for this because they did consider a tax increase. that's why -- and certainly as you heard from the speaker, it was a shocker. he did not realize until the day started to really move that he wasn't going to be able to at the last minute pull many of his fellow republicans on. and one of the reasons he said is because the democratic leader in the senate, harry reid, made it very clear he wasn't going to take it up. so a lot of his rank and file republicans said why am i going to do this? why am i going to take a vote i'm going to get probably pummeled for within my own party, that is not going to go anywhere. >> you and i just talked yesterday about speaker boehner's hold on the

speakership and he was asked about that today. let's watch that. >> last week i asked you if you were concerned about losing your speakership and you said you were not. in light of what happened last night, if you're not concerned, shouldn't you be? >> no. i'm not. >> let me ask the same question to you, should he be concerned? faces reelection next month and at the moment he seems weakened, does he not? >> reporter: no question that what happened last night was not good for speaker boehner. it definitely put him in a less strong position than he was just before that. but if you also saw the picture that you just played, it was very intentional that the speaker brought with him his number two, eric cantor, because if anybody is going to try a coup or anyone would try to run against him, it would probably be eric cantor. the fact he was standing there with the speaker was supposed to be a picture telling a thousand words, no question about that.

i think at the end of the day, the answer to whether the speaker is in trouble is really going to be -- we won't get that until we really know what happens in the endgame of the fiscal cliff. one thing on that note, i'll tell you, i've been talking to senate democratic sources, most people think that this is going to be in their lap right now, and the irony is that they think that the -- probably the best case for getting something done will be to go off the cliff. why is that? the house speakers say you heard the speaker say that it is very difficult for people to raise taxes. well, if you think about it, if we go off the cliff, january 1st, congress comes back and the new congress is sworn in january 3rd, everybody's taxes will be higher, what road will they take? to cut taxes, much more politically palletable. >> cutting, not raising. dana bash, it is congress. thank you. all right, we know john kerry has been tapped to be the president's next secretary of state. here is something interesting to

ponder here. could ben affleck take senator kerry's place? wolf blitzer has some thoughts. he's next.

senator john kerry was

always on the short list to replace hillary clinton as secretary of state. but after susan rice removed herself from the running, kerry became odds on favorite. now you see the video here, happening not too long ago, official, the president today nominating kerry for one of the highest profile posts really in the world and wolf blitzer, let me bring you in. you were watching this. you were covering it when it was happening live. before we chat let's look at a poll. cnn, we asked americans whether they thought senator kerry would be quote/unquote good for the country or bad for the country. 57% say good. he has support. is this pretty much a done deal here? >> i think it is. i think it is pretty much a done deal. there may be a few handful of senators that might not like john kerry, might vote not to confirm his nomination. but i think he'll sail through. it will be his committee that has to approve him and then a full vote on the floor of the senate. but i think he's going to get through. usually the senators are pretty

collegial as far as senators are concerned. i assume he won't have much trouble. i think the white house hope is around the time the president is inaugurated for a second term, hearings will have been concluded first three weeks or so of january and he'll be confirmed. >> okay. wondering about the timeline on that. then, of course, in the same breath of how he'll probably get the gig, we talk about who steps up and gets the senatorial spot in massachusetts. a lot of names floated out there. so do me a favor, run through a few, including a certain bearded humanitarian/actor/director. >> well, if ronald reagan who was a movie star could become president of the united states what about ben affleck? what about him? he was testifying before congress this week. he's very involved in various issues including congo, dealing with the atrocities in condo when he testified on capitol hill. not ruling it out. i would be surprised if he throws his hat in the ring.

>> you would be surprised. >> i would be sort of surprised. he's very political. he has a huge acting career ahead of him. let's see what he does, how committed he is. scott brown, the incumbent republican senator who just lost to elizabeth warren in his bid for re-election, he's almost certainly going to be the republican nominee. and that special election will happen in may or june. scott brown wants to be in the senate, maybe he'll get himself elected. let's see if ben affleck is serious or not serious. there are others, duvall patrick, the governor of massachusetts, he might want to be the democratic nominee. congressman ed markey, house of represents for a long time, his name is being floated seriously. ted kennedy jr. let's see what happens. there is a lot of potential democrats out there. we'll see how serious scott brown is about trying to regain that senate seat. >> okay. wolf blitzer, thank you very much. we'll look for you the at top of the hour. if i don't talk to you before then, happy holidays and see you next year, my friend. the nra today bashing video

games for playing a role in the mass shootings one week ago today. well, in newtown, a 12-year-old boy and his brother are vowing never to play them again. there they are. looks like with some video games there. you're going to hear the reasons and what their dad thinks about it next. four sixteen seventy six a month! okay, come with me -- we're gonna save you money. with straight talk at walmart, you get unlimited talk, text and data for only $45 a month per phone. would we get the same coverage? same coverage on america's best networks. you saved $146.76 by switching to straight talk. awesome! now you can afford to share your allowance with me. get the season's hottest smartphones like the samsung galaxy s2 and get straight talk with unlimited data for just $45 a month -- from america's gift headquarters. walmart. ♪

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to make our beautifully imperfect world a little less imperfect. call... and lock in your rate for 12 months. liberty mutual insurance. responsibility. what's your policy? bottom of the hour, i'm brooke baldwin. calls for a worldwide cease-fire today. this is a cease-fire unlike any before. this is an online cease-fire. ceo and founder of gamer fit nation calling for a day of mourning. one week after that newtown elementary school shooting. gamers across the world putting down their controllers as video games and gun violence are under the microscope because of what happened a week ago. in a statement to the nation today, that was, as you can see here, interrupted by not just

one but two protesters, the nra pointed a finger at violent video games. >> there exists in this country, sadly, a callous, corrupt and corrupting shadow industry that sells and stows violence against its own people. through vicious, violent video games with names like bullet storm, grant theft auto, mortal combat, and splatter house. >> and then there is this. a 12-year-old boy loves his video games, loives in all placs newtown, connecticut. he decided this week he didn't want to kill anyone in just a game. he wants other kids to do the same. that young man joins me now. max goldstein and his stepbrother jackson middleton,

stepdad craig middleton. i want to express, of course, our sympathies to a lot of the families there in your town. but you guys are trying to take a negative perhaps here and turn it into a positive. max, let me begin with you. why do you want to get rid of some of your video games? >> we wanted to get rid of the video games because of -- we feel that it is negatively affecting some of the minds and feelings of the youth of this nation. and we just wanted to change that. >> well, max, those are pretty adult words here for, you know, a 12-year-old. but let me just -- i understand that you actually went to one of the funerals of one of those kids who was killed a week ago today and was it during the funeral, max, you decided that this is not right? >> yeah. pretty much. >> pretty much. jackson, to you, this movement that you guys have started, this is called played out, choose not to play. i see you have some video games

next to you. what are you doing with them? >> well, what we're going to do with these games is we're going to put them in this container and we're planning to have our local garbage company destroy them. >> you're not only giving up the games you are literally having them destroyed. is that right? >> yes. that is right. >> how many games have you collected so far? do you have any idea? >> none so far. but -- well, right now, all we have is these games, but we're planning to get a lot more. >> planning to get a lot more. stepdad craig, let me ask you, just so i'm clear, this is not something you said to your kids, this is the right thing to do. this is coming from them, is that right? >> it is coming from them. i think my wife and i had a discussion recently about obviously after these tragic events that this is probably something to consider taking out of the home and i think the kids got the message and they decided

to universally pick up all the mature violence games and max came up with this brilliant idea and we thought maybe this is something that can catch the attention of other kids and other communities and i'm a big advocate of thinking globally and acting locally and i hope that this triggers a -- the minds of other parents and mostly other kids. >> craig, i just have to ask the question that i know a lot of the viewers are wondering now, if we're talking -- some of the video games are violent, mature rating, you have to be 17 to buy them, and just let me ask you, you know, why were you buying them for your boys in first place? >> we bought these games, i think our kids are kind, they're generous, they're compassionate, i think the spirit of this particular event in and of itself demonstrates that. and i think that we have to be honest with ourselves and i think we have to be honest with america that there are parents and kids that play these games

throughout the country, never with the intention that any of these are going to have an impact on their kids acting aggressively or violently. i actually somewhat rebuff the comments today by the nra that these are the direct and sole causal factor of the kind of violence we're dealing with. but i think our kids want to make a statement and we talked about this that i don't think that there is any one of the parents or brothers or sisters or uncles who could play one of these games who has been recently victimized. and this is a way that we are standing by them. and i think this is a way that the country can stand by them. >> max and jackson, just my final question to you, if we're talking about violent video games, how do you feel about violent movies? >> i think violent movies are just the same. they have the same cause as these games and they don't really do anything different

than these games do. >> max, what are you going to do with your free time now? now that you're not playing these games? >> could you repeat that actually? >> i know that creek is loud. if you're throwing away your video games, how are you going to spend your free time now? >> well, i'll spend my free time by spending more time with my friends. they live probably like five minutes away from us. i'm probably going to, like, if i do play video games, play, like soccer games or sports games or racing games or something like that. spend more time studying i guess. >> spend more time studying. i hear craig chuckling a little bit. that's not a bad thing, max. max, craig and jackson, thank you for coming on. we appreciate it. and, listen, this is getting traction. in fact, in congress, senator jay rockefeller introducing a

bill to study the effect violent video games have on children and the video game lobby esa responded. let me read that for you here. any such study needs to include the years of extensive research that has shown no connection between entertainment and real life violence. that comes from the esa. just when americans start to feel better about the economy, it is looking more and more likely we are going over the fiscal cliff. coming up next, forget the politics. ali velshi explains what this means for your paycheck, your taxes, your family, and your future. ak. i'm going to dream about that tiramisu. what a night, huh? but, um, can the test drive be over now? head back to the dealership? [ male announcer ] it's practically yours. but we still need your signature. volkswagen sign then drive is back. and it's never been easier to get a passat. that's the power of german engineering. get $0 down, $0 due at signing, $0 deposit, and $0 first month's payment on any new volkswagen. visit vwdealer.com today.

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days to go and the threat of the fiscal cliff looks like reality now. what are you going to contend with come january 1st. plan b fizzles and republicans have no backup plan. stocks tank on wall street because washington can't get it together. and blackberry in a bit of a pickle. first -- >> the president and congress take action, tax rates will go up on every american taxpayer and devastating defense cuts will go into effect in ten days. >> i'm not going to bore you too much with details of how useless your elected officials are in washington because they can't

even get a framework of a deal together to avert the fiscal cliff. and instead of working around the clock to avoid the abyss, they're heading home for the holidays where they get to take a few days off to sit with their families by the fire side and get in some good football on tv. meanwhile, you get nothing from them, but a stock market sell-off that wipes out some of your gains that your 401(k) achieved in 2012 and more economic uncertainty right when the economy is starting to take off. what you need to know now is how this fiscal cliff stuff affects you starting on january 1st. jean sahadi is a senior writer at "cnn money." what is going to happen? what do our viewers need to know about what is likely to happen at the beginning of the year? >> in terms of tax filing, that may get delayed. the irs came out this week and said dear lawmakers, if we do not get a fix for the alternative minimum tax, this year, that protects the middle class on their 2012 tax return, up to 100 million returns will not be able to be processed

until late march. so that's going to mean that refunds will get delayed. there is -- first three months of the year, typically 117 to $130 billion in refunds are paid out. that money will not be going into the economy if in fact this plays out to the nth degree, which is might. filing season begins in mid-january. so possibly if they come up with a deal december 31st or january 2nd, maybe that won't happen. but we're pushing it. >> for now, there is really nothing you can do except sit tight and hope they come up with a deal and somebody tells somebody what that deal is so your taxes can get filed prop properly. go to money.com and check out some of her writing. the fiscal cliff looks like it could be reality, so get ready. on the money menu, stocks tumble, investors start to fear the worst from washington's inability to get a deal done that averts the fiscal cliff. that's too bad. the latest economic indicators show that americans are themselves feeling more confident. personal income and the savings

rate both rose in november. that all on the heels of the latest up withward revision to the growth in the third quarter, gdp. let's hope that consumer confidence isn't for not. shares of rimm got slammed. sales and subscribers fell in the last quarter. the blackberry is losing ground in the corporate market as more i.t. departments let employees use whatever phones they like. blackberry wants to make a comeback with the blackberry 10 scheduled for release january 30th, a year later than originally planned. i want to say that political impasse in washington is really thwarting what could otherwise be an economic renaissance in america. americans are feeling more confident and they're spending more. 2013 could be the start of a real economic renaissance that leads to a new boom in prosperity in america. that's kind of pathetic when things start to look good for the new year, our politicians are callous enough to start it with a fiscal disaster that could push us back into a recession. happy holidays, washington. for more in depth coverage of

the issues, tune into "your money" at saturday at 1:00 and sunday at 3:00 p.m. eastern. i'm out. 315 horsepower. what's that in reindeer-power? [ laughs ] [ pencil scratches ] [ male announcer ] chevy's giving more. get the best offer of the year -- 0% apr financing for 60 months plus $1,000 holiday bonus cash. plus trade up for an additional $1,000 trade-in allowance. hurry. bonus cash ends january 2nd. starts with arthritis pain and a choice. take tylenol or take aleve, the #1 recommended pain reliever by orthopedic doctors. just two aleve can keep pain away all day. back to the news. military families face, we understand. at usaa, we know military life is different. we've been there. that's why every bit of financial advice we offer is geared specifically

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we have been following this case, this former u.s. marine here jailed in mexico because of a gun he tried to bring into the country. we have new details today. we have been talking to florida senator bill nelson who says jon hammar is expected to be released. this is after four months in a prison, believed to be controlled by a drug cartel. his parents have been getting frightening phone calls from that place. mexican police arrested him when he tried to cross the border, going from brownsville, texas, to mexico in august. and they alleged he had an illegal shotgun on him. turned out this was a family heirloom, he says it was cleared by u.s. customs, but police, they tossed him in jail anyway. i want to bring in sunny hostin on the case with me today.

and, sunny, we talked about this, jon hammar, planning on driving through central america, headed to costa rica to go on a surf vacation because he was suffering ptsd after serving our country. does he have any legal recourse? >> you know, the interesting thing is that i think when we look at cases like this, we look at it from our perspective as americans. and when we feel we're wronged, what do we do? we look to our justice system, right? we look to sue someone or we look to get our government involved. well, who do you sue if you're jon hammar. can't sue the mexican drug cartels for unlawfully imprisoning you. you can't sue the mexican government. so this very much has been a diplomatic sort of mission. and that's why we saw our congressmen and women getting very involved and pressuring our homeland security folks as well as the secretary of statereleas. so that really was the goal

here. you want him to be released. the mexican judge said they will drop felony charges and he will be released. that's the endgame here. will he get any sort of money from being falsely imprisoned as he's alleging? no, i don't think so. i think he want his freedom a lot more. >> his parents, i'm sure, will be happy to have him home. want to talk about this other case, an update to a house explosion that wiped out five homes in an indianapolis neighborhood last month. look at this. this was the aftermath here. two people died. 12 people were hurt. and investigators say a homeowner, her boyfriend, and the boyfriend's brother, following me, they all tampered with the gas line and a valve, caused this massive explosion. facing hundreds of charges including conspiracy andf felon arson. they didn't know why it happened. walk me through the evidence against these people. >> it really is pretty impressive. apparently they called the gas company several times, trying to get information about natural

gas and gas lines. then they took things out of the home that were valuable so their things wouldn't be destroyed, brooke. so there certainly is a lot of evidence showing premeditation in this, and what is remarkable is it looks like they did it for the money. because we know that some of these defendants have told -- or for insurance, they told people their house was worth $300,000 and $400,000. what is terrible, is they exacted about $4.4 million in damage and ruined people's lives over, i think, three dozen homes were demolished as a result of this. this is arson of the worst type. and, of course, there were two fatalities as well. >> horrendous. horrendous. sunny hostin, thank you. >> thanks, brooke. talk about the weather. it is a mess. many of you trying to get home or maybe somewhere warm for the holidays. here is the deal. interstates closed. massive pileups, thousands without power in the cold. >> i just heard a boom, real

loud, and a tornado was, like, over my house, roaring over my house and my whole house was shaking. >> this storm continues to wreak havoc, inconvenience. we'll tell you which areas are in its path next as it moves eastward next. thing... or you can get out there and actually share something. ♪ the lexus december to remember sales event is on. this is the pursuit of perfection. anyone have occasional constipation, diarrhea, gas, bloating? yeah. one phillips' colon health probiotic cap each day helps defend against these digestive issues with three strains of good bacteria. approved! [ female announcer ] live the regular life. phillips'. [ female announcer ] live the regular life. excuse me, sir i'm gonna have to ask you to power down your little word game. i think your friends will understand. oh no, it's actually my geico app...see? ...i just uh paid my bill. did you really? from the plane? yeah, i can manage my policy, get roadside assistance, pretty much access geico 24/7.

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well the weekend is almost here, not that you're counting down or anything. time to pack up the car, hit the road for the holidays, perhaps hop on a plane. let me warn you, this gol lie yacht of a storm that has hammered the northeast, that storm, look at this, this is spreading into the northeast right now from iowa, wisconsin, to pennsylvania, new england. thankfully, though, we're hearing the storm has weakened. parts of northeast, western new york will see snow tonight and into tomorrow. strong winds, heavy winds will delay some of you who plan to travel and so far an emergency company is working to get power back on here. more than 7,000 people in iowa,

down from 20,000 just this morning. sadly, two people have died after a blinding snow caused a pileup in iowa yesterday. let's talk about those packages. ups says your holiday packages, delayed. unavoidable delays. the blizzard hit its main port in kentucky pretty hard. and every year right around this time, conservationists come up with the world's most endangered animals. the cow, yes, that the president owned was endangered a couple of years back. but the cow is on the comeback trail. dan lothian has this american journey. >> reporter: you are looking at one of the rarest, most endangered animals on the planet, the randall lineback

cow. they are more endangered than polar bears, mountain tigers and there are fewer than 500 left on this planet. not in some far flung corner of the world but most here in northern virginia. joe henderson, a real estate executive and part-time farmer, is on a mission to save this historic be breed of cattle from going exstint. >> you cannot look at these cows and tell me that they are not beautiful. and the little babies -- >> pandas of the cow world. >> but it's very expensive raising these bovine pandas. >> this animal to survive must find a job. i think we found the job and the job is -- it is kind of counterintuitive to rescue this breed you have to consume them.

a top chef in washington, d.c., his restaurant has been serving the randall lineback for four years, a pleasure for the pallet. conservation is an extra side dish. many would hardly recognized this as beef, a far cry from the fatty marble steaks that american diners crave, and more than three times the cost. meaning only exclusive chefs, like armstrong, can get their hands on the difficult to prepare meat. >> this is never going to be in mcdonald's. this animal has got to go to higher-end use. >> what's the most important thing, that you're saving a cow or creating this new eating experience? >> for me the most important thing is you're saving an animal that would otherwise go extinct. i think it's a piece of natural beauty that needs to be kept going. >> dan lothian, cnn, chapel hill

farms, virginia. he lives a life of crime, wanted for murder, but using disguises and friends, he's been able to stay one step ahead of police until now. the sudden capture of one of america's most wanted fugitives, next. try running four.ning a restaurant is hard, fortunately we've got ink. it gives us 5x the rewards on our internet, phone charges and cable, plus at office supply stores. rewards we put right back into our business. this is the only thing we've ever wanted to do and ink helps us do it. make your mark with ink from chase. welcome to chevy's year-end event. so, the 5.3-liter v8 silverado can tow up to 9,600 pounds?

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